schitlte



W. B. SCHULTE.

DRY BATTERY.

APPLICATION FILED III/III. I3. 1919.

rammed Feb. 28, 1922.

ATTORNEYS AWALTER. B. SCHULTE, OF MADISON, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOB T0 BURGESSII'BATTERY Y NT @Triss- COMPANY, .AQCORPORA'IION 0F WISCONSIN. i

DRY BATTERY.

To all whom it may concern.'

Beit known that I, WALTER B. SCHLTE,

a citizen Aof the UnitedStates, residing at (Madison, yinthe county otDane, State of Wisconsin, 'have invented certain new and yuseful Improvements in Dry Batteries; andV Ifdo Ahereby ldeclare the following to be a full, clear, `and kexact description of the invention, such as Will enable others skilled usethe same.

This invention relates to dry batteries; and itl comprises certain improvements, herein theart to Awhich:it appertains to make and `inafter-,fully described, in the construction and arrangement ofthe ,component cells of such batteries, ivhereby short-circuiting between adjacent cells is effectuallly prevented even Yin"`the event otleakage'fot any yof the cells, or of entry of moisture into the jacket or'cojntainer in which thebattery is fitted.

According yto the invention, the cells are arranged vertically Within `the individual compartments provided for them ina nest VWhieh rests upon the bottom 'Wall 'or floor of thecontainerfand is constructed of Waterproofed material. They are slightly shorter than these compartments, so thatthey are thereby maintained vfree of contact with the fbottom ofthe container, from which it folcreased by encasing each cell in a Wrapper of lvvater-proofed material, inasmuch as such material constitutes anA actual barrier bety'veen thewaterfor other vliquid and theV zinc cans of the cells which is impermeable to the passage of the liquid through it.

Other Vimproved `features of the invention Williappear as Athe description thereot` proceeds; but it isto be understood that the in# ventionis not limited to the precise structural details referred to in such description and `illustrated in the accompanying` drawing, in which apractical embodiment ot the invention is represented, excepting in so far as may bepnecessitated by the terms or" the Yappended claims.

1919. Serial No. 282,394.

Specification of Letters Patent. ,Patented Feb. 1922. Application ined Merch-13,

In the .drawing Y. Fig. l is a side elevation of a battery conthe container or ing in section; Y r

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectiomon an enlarged scale, takenon line 3,-3 of F ig. l. v

The battery shown inthe drawing com#I prises aseries of small cylindrical cells l of counterpart construction'and otmore or lessV conventional type, each cell embodying a zinc can or cup 2 formingone electrode of the cell and an axially `disposed car-bon `rod 3 forming the other electrodee ach carbon rod being fitted with a metal terminal or cap 4. The cells are arranged vertically in'individual compartments@ provided forthem in a nest 6, -Which is constructed of interlock ing vlongitudinal and transverse strips 7 and rial, preferably impregnated with a Waterproofing substance such as paraffin. The lower edges of the strips A7 and Srest directly upon the bottom member y9 of `a pasteboard case or jacket l0, likewise impregnated with parafiin, Which is adapted to contain the battory and which forms the bottom Wall of the compartments, the sideedges `of the vstrips contacting directly `with the end and ,side Walls `ll and l2 of thecase. -Theseveral/dimensions of the compartmentsare somewhat greater thanthose of the cells, esothat under ordinary conditions the ycells W ould,be-maintained out of contact at all points With ,the

Walls of Ithe compartments, the space be-v tween the' lower ends ofthe cells and the bbottoni Wall of the case exceeding that which would ordinarily existbetween the side walls of the v cells and their compartments. These spaces, however,` are taken up yto some extent by the Wrappers lin Wliichtlie vcells are encased, the Wrappersbeing.fitted on the cells prior to the insertion ofthe latter lin `their compartments. They are constructed of sheets ofrvaxed paper which completely en- 8 of pasteboardor other suitable sheet inate-A close the cells With the exception oftheir upper ends,A which are left open, theloiver edges ot the Wrappers being tucked 4under and folded against the bottoms ol" the cells as indicated' at la, so that anincieasedthickness of Wrapping is provided at such points.

After havingbeen fitted Withtheir paper nest are then inserted in the case or jacket 10, though this second step may take place before the connection of the cells is effected; or, if preferred,the nest may beinserted in the case prior tothe positioning and connection of the cells. The nest itself terminates some distance below the upper edge of thefcasefand is fixed therein, together with the cells, by a seal 18 of pitch or other suitable substance which fills the upper portion -of the case and penetrates a slight distance into'the compartments 5, thus coming into contact with the paper wrappers on the cells, as well as with the walls of the compartments, and serving to anchor the cells in place. I n this way, the entire structure is transformed into a single unitary body or unit in which the cells are rigidly sealed in the nest as well as in the case itself, and their wrappers securely fastened thereon, while the electrical connections between the cells are embedded in the material forming the seal and,`hence, are not liable to become detached or injured.

Owing to the fact that the bottoms of the cells terminate short of the bottom wall 9 of the case, whereas the lower edges of the partition strips 7 and 8 rest on said wall 9, any liquid which may collect on the bottom of a compartment, whether from an extraneous source or from leakage, will not touch the cell inthe compartment, and moreover, will not ordinarily penetrate into the adjacent compartments buty will tend to remain'in the compartment in which it originated. Consequently, the danger of adjacent cells becoming short-circuited because of the presence of moisture is greatly reduced, es-

pecially since the walls both of the nest and offthe case arerendered water repellant by being treated with paraiiin. The effects thus produced are'furthered and increased to a very considerable extent by the provision of the paraiiined wrappers in which the cells are encased', for these wrappers not only interpose a layer `of water-repellant material on all sides of the Vcells'an'd between the latter and thecorresponding walls of the compartments, which prevents exposure of the zinc and consequent leakage in the event of cor- 'rosion taking place, but they provide av double or triple thickness of such material at the only point where moisture can accumulate to an appreciable extent from any the bottom wall of the case. portion, in consequence, provides a yielding source. Hence, the continued eiiciency of the battery while in use, and an exceptionally long shelf life thereof, lare insured without adding to any great extent tothe initial cost of the battery.

It will be observed that the in-folded portions of the wrappers at the bottoms of the cells occupy practically all of the'space be tween the bottoms of the cans or'cups and This in-folded support for the cell on which it rests during the operation of soldering the conductors-15 vto the cap portions of the carbon rods 4.

Any excess pressure wliichvmay be accidentally imposed upon the cells during 'this opl' .eration will be takenY up byA said in-folded portion, and, hence, will not cause breakagek of the usual seals at the top of the cells, which might easily occur if the cans rested directly upon a rigid support during the operation.`

1 claim as my invention :-v y v 1. A dry batterycomprising acase, arnesty fitted therein and providing a set of sepa;y rate, vertical compartments,'and dry-cells fitting in rsaid compartments respectively with their lower ends spaced from ythe bot-4 toms of the compartments; substantially as described. Y i i 2. fr dry battery comprising a case, a nest fitted therein and providing a set of sep-f arate, open-ended vertical compartments, the lower edges of the walls'of the compart ments resting Vdirectly upon 'the bottom member of thecase, and dry-cells'tting in said compartments respectively withY their lower ends spaced from said bottom mem-z ber; substantially as described.

3. A dry battery comprising a'case, a nest" fitted therein and consisting of interlocking longitudinal and transverseV strips ofV sheet material treated with a water-repelf., lant substance, said strips providing a set,- of open-ended, vertical compartmentsA andl having their lower edges resting directly upon the bottom member ofthe case, andk dry-cells tting in said compartments re# spectively with their lower ends spaced Afrom said bottom member; substantially as described. 4f f 1. A dry battery comprisinga case, a'nest, fitted therein, and av set of cells anchored in the nest at their upper ends and having their lower ends spaced from the "bottom" member of the case, each Vcell havingv a water-repellant wrapper completely encas-V it; substantially as'described. f

5. A dry batterycomprising a case, a nest v fitted therein, a set of vertical dry-cellsarranged in the nest and spaced at their lower ends from the bottom of the case, electrical connections between the upper ends of the cells, and a seal anchoring said cells insaid nest and embedding said electrical connec# tions; substantially as described.

feol

'leo

6. A dry battery comprising a case, a nest fitted therein, a set of vertical dry-cells arranged in the nest and spaced at their lower ends from the bottom of the case, a waterrepellant wrapper completely encasing each cell, and a seal anchoring the cells in said nest and the wrappers to said cells; substantially as described.

7. A dry battery comprising a case, a nest fitted therein and providing a set ot' openended vertical compartments, the lower edges of the Walls of the compartments resting upon the bottom member of the case, a dry-cell itting in each compartment with its lower end spaced fromsaid bottom member, and a Water-repellant wrapper connk pletely encasing each cell and fastened to it; substantially as described.

8. A dry battery comprising a case, a nest fitted therein, and a set of cells anchored in the nest at their upper ends and having their lower ends spacedfrom the bottom member of the case, each cell having a wrapper of waxed paper completely encasing it; substantially as described.

9. A dry battery comprising a case, a nest fitted therein and providing a set of vertical compartments, and dry cells fitting in said compartments, respectively, with their lower ends spaced from the bottoms of the compartments, each cell being encased in a water-repellant wrapper, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aIiX my signature.

WALTER B. SCHULTE. 

